MACOMB, Mich. – Human body parts were found both along the road and in trash bags, after a witness reported a woman dumping garbage near a road 48 miles northwest of Detroit, in rural China Township, Mich.

St. Clair County Sheriffs couldn’t immediately say if the parts belonged to the same person, or the sex or race of the possible victims. Sheriffs wouldn’t say how many bags were found.

“We have confirmed these are human body parts and we are treating this as a homicide,” said St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon, Thursday night.

Police are searching for a heavyset, middle-aged white woman, driving a late 1990s, gray sports-utility vehicle, and have combed the area for clues. They’re working with the Michigan State Police Crime Lab and the St. Clair County Medical Examiner’s Office on the case.